By 1980, builders had started buying agricultural land and developing townships.

The builder started on the kitchen a few weeks later, but soon began to slip behind his own timetable.

"The original builder started building from both ends on the ocean," she said.

Despite the decline last month, analysts said builders were starting projects at a healthy pace as the fall building season began.

Without seasonal adjustment, builders started 131,600 homes last month, 5.5 percent below the August level, the report also showed.

No sane builder would start on a project like that now.

But by this morning, builders had already started repair work.

A builder had started it several years earlier but was apparently unable to finish.

It is like a builder starting with the top floor and building downwards, rather than beginning at ground level.

When the builders started work, the kitchen was Helen's first priority.